Today, personal information management (PIM) applications are often used to organize e-mail, manage calendar entries, track tasks, manage contacts, provide note taking and enable journaling. These applications can be used as stand-alone applications or in conjunction with a server which provides enhanced functions for multiple users in an organization. For example, the server can provide multiple users ability to share mailboxes, calendars, folders and meeting time allocations.
Essentially, a PIM application refers to an information management tool or application that functions as a personal organizer. One main purpose of a PIM is to provide management (e.g., recording, tracking) of information such as calendar entries, contact information, e-mail or the like. When used in conjunction with a server, a PIM is capable of synchronizing data via a network (e.g., Internet, intranet) as well as rendering information to other users. For example, via the network, and so long as proper permissions are in place, a user can view calendar entries, e-mails, or other PIM data related to another user's account.
In these networked scenarios, a user can view another user's calendar to determine availability when scheduling a meeting or appointment. Where a user has a meeting or appointment on their calendar, they can designate the time slot as ‘Free,’ ‘Tentative,’ ‘Busy,’ or ‘Out of Office.’ This indication can be used by those viewing the calendar to make informed decisions with regard to scheduling a meeting that includes the owner of the calendar.
In some instances, PIM applications are customizable by a user. For example, rules can be set which can automate actions in specific scenarios. For instance, a user can define a rule that forwards all (or a subset) of received e-mails to another user or e-mail address. As well, a user can set an ‘out-of-office’ or OOF message that is displayed when a user is unavailable. Today, these OOF messages are set to provide canned responses to those who attempt to contact the unavailable user. By way of example, an OOF message may state “I am currently out of the office and have limited availability to e-mail—I will respond upon my return of September 15th. In the meantime, if you need to reach someone immediately, please contact my assistant Ava Mason.” Unfortunately, this limited communication management must be manually toggled on and off by a user. In other words, a user must remember to turn off their ‘OOF’ message and corresponding management or all messages will continue to receive this OOF reply even though the user may be available.